How the French Won Waterloo - or Think They Did

Published in the 200th anniversary year of the Battle of Waterloo, a witty look at how the French still think they won, by Stephen Clarke, author of 1000 Years of Annoying the French and A Year in the Merde. Two centuries after the Battle of Waterloo, the French are still in denial. If Napoleon lost on 18 June 1815 (and that's a big 'if') then whoever rules the universe got it wrong. As soon as the cannons stopped firing, French historians began rewriting history.

Learn French with Paul Noble: Complete Course: French Made Easy with Your Personal Language Coach

An exciting, nontraditional approach to language learning with the easy, relaxed appeal of an audio-only product. No books. No rote memorisation. No chance of failure. This download contains the entire course. Part one: language ground rules; the use of the past tense; finding French words used in English; asking questions; essential vocabulary to use when booking into a hotel, taking a taxi, and eating out.

The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island

Twenty years ago Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to celebrate the green and kindly island that had become his adopted country. The hilarious book that resulted, Notes from a Small Island, was taken to the nation's heart and became the best-selling travel book ever and was voted in a BBC poll the book that best represents Britain. Now, to mark the 20th anniversary of that modern classic, Bryson makes a brand-new journey around Britain to see what has changed.

The Reluctant Hermit says:"I think Bill would rather have stayed at home."

A Piano in the Pyrenees: The Ups and Downs of an Englishman in the French Mountains

Inspired by breathtaking views, and dreaming of finding love and romance in the mountains, Tony Hawks impulsively buys a house in the French Pyrenees. Here he imagines he will finally fulfil his childhood fantasy of mastering the piano, untroubled by the problems of the world. However, Tony's account of stumbling into the world of overseas home ownership is perhaps best heard as a useful manual of how not to go about buying a house abroad.

The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country

When she was suddenly given the opportunity of a new life in rural Jutland, journalist and archetypal Londoner Helen Russell discovered a startling statistic: the happiest place on earth isn't Disneyland but Denmark, a land often thought of by foreigners as consisting entirely of long, dark winters, cured herring, Lego and pastries. What is the secret to their success? Are happy Danes born or made?

Round Ireland with a Fridge

Whilst in Ireland for an International Song Competition, Tony Hawks was amazed to see a hitch-hiker, trying to thumb a lift, but with a fridge. This seemed amazingly optimistic - his Irish friends, however thought nothing of it at all. 'I had clearly arrived in a country', writes Tony, 'where the qualifications for 'eccentric' involved a great deal more than that to which I had become used'. Two years pass but the fridge incident haunts our author.

Notes From a Small Island

After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson, the acclaimed author of such best sellers as The Mother Tongue and Made in America, decided it was time to move back to the United States for a while. This was partly to let his wife and kids experience life in Bryson's homeland, and partly because he had read that 3.7 million Americans believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another. It was thus clear to him that his people needed him.

Once Upon a Time in the West...Country

Comedian and best-selling author Tony Hawks is embarking on his greatest adventure yet - moving from city life in London to deepest Devon in the West Country. You can take the man out of the city, but is the countryside ready for him? Comedian and born-and-bred townie Tony Hawks is not afraid of a challenge - or indeed a good bet. He's hitchhiked round Ireland with a fridge and taken on the Moldovan football team at tennis one by one.

The Night Manager

The night manager is Jonathan, a veteran of clandestine operations. In flight from a failed marriage and his own past, he has taken refuge in the luxury hotel trade. Yet he finds no escape from his demons. Driven by a desire for atonement and by an inherited patriotism, Jonathan allows himself to be recruited as a British secret agent with a mission to expose the murderer of the woman he himself betrayed. His odyssey takes him across Britain and Canada to the Caribbean and the jungles of Panama.

Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow

Yuval Noah Harari, author of the best-selling Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, envisions a not-too-distant world in which we face a new set of challenges. Now, in Homo Deus, he examines our future with his trademark blend of science, history, philosophy and every discipline in between. Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the 21st century - from overcoming death to creating artificial life.

Trigger Mortis: A James Bond Novel

James Bond is back where he belongs. Anthony Horowitz's new novel is a thrilling tour de force, sure to delight fans of the original 007 novels and new readers alike. It also features previously unseen material written by Bond's creator, Ian Fleming. The story begins in the lethal world of Grand Prix and an attempt by the Russians to sabotage a race at Nürburgring, the most dangerous track in Europe.

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo

In The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy shares stories about her family, her relationships, her career, good - and bad - sex, recounting the experiences that have shaped who she is today: from the riches to rags story of her childhood to her teenage quest for popularity (and boys) to becoming one of the most sought-after comedians on the planet and an outspoken advocate for women's rights.

Publisher's Summary

Shortlisted for the British Book Awards, Newcomer of the Year, 2006.

Paul West, a young Englishman, arrives in Paris to start a new job and finds out what the French are really like. They do eat a lot of cheese, some of which smells like pigs' droppings. They don't wash their armpits with garlic soap. Going on strike really is the second national participation sport after petanque. And, yes, they do use suppositories.

In his first novel, Stephen Clarke gives a laugh-out-loud account of the pleasures and perils of being a Brit in France. Less quaint than A Year in Provence, less chocolatey than Chocolat, A Year in the Merde will tell you how to get served by the grumpiest Parisian waiter; how to make perfect vinaigrette every time; how to make amour, not war; and how not to buy a house in the French countryside.

As a French myself I had no problems with this book! Infact I thought it was really funny. He uses the good old jokes about the French and the observations in the book are very true! I recognised a lot of things about the French in here. I'd recommend it to everyone - French people included.

Be prepare to surprise your neighbours with unpredictable waves of laugh whilst listening this fab piece. Adventures of young Englishman in Paris are just amazing thing. Very well transformed from written version to audible one. Particular use of distort-spelled words and sentences went amazing way. I am sure you will recommend this audio book to all your friends (as I did). I can't wait for the second part of the story in audio version.

Amazingly funny book, really did make me laugh out loud. Having read the book on holiday and thoroughly enjoyed it, I then read it again on the train to work, people kept telling me to keep the laughing down a bit! I have passed the book on to all my friends, what better recommendation could you have?

I have also read the second book Merde Actually. Not as good, but still excellent